This North African Nation Leads the Continent in Attack Helicopter Power

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24/7 Wall St. Insights:

• Egypt is home to one of the strongest helicopter fleets in the world, much less in Africa by far, with 100 attack helicopters at its disposal
• At the heart of Egypt's attack helicopter force is the American-made AH-64 Apache, as well as the Russian-made Mi-8 Hip and Ka-52 Alligator
• The AH-64 Apache is recognized the world over as one of the best attack helicopters with an impressive combat record
• The Ka-52 Alligator is one of the newest additions to Egypt's force, as it was only introduced to service in 2010
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Egypt is home to one of the strongest attack helicopter fleets in the world, much less in Africa by far. This should come as no surprise as Egypt controls the strongest military on the continent as well. Owning attack helicopters and having a strong military force goes hand in hand--why so many of the world's most powerful armies have substantial attack helicopter forces. ( Why Egypt ranks as the strongest military force in Africa. )

At the heart of Egypt's attack helicopter force is the American-made AH-64 Apache, as well as the Russian-made Mi-8 Hip and Ka-52 Alligator. Egypt has a blend of Eastern and Western aircraft that make its military especially formidable and versatile.

The AH-64 Apache is recognized the world over as one of the best attack helicopters with an impressive combat record. It comes standard with a 30mm chain gun, and it can equip a number of missiles including Hellfires and Sidewinders. These helicopters can also be outfitted with rocket pods. ( This country has over 800 Apache attack helicopters. )

The Ka-52 Alligator is one of the newest additions to Egypt's force, as it was only introduced to service in 2010. These come standard with a 30mm automatic cannon and can equip a series of air-to-surface and anti-tank missiles, as well as rocket pods and cannon pods.

Although these helicopters come from different and rival origins, they work effectively together within Egypt's Armed Forces. This blend of East and West also helps to balance Egypt's fleet and allows for greater operational flexibility when supporting ground troops or engaging in anti-armor missions. ( 44 years of service and this helicopter still has a back order list of nearly 1,000. )

While Egypt stands at the top of the heap in terms of attack helicopters and military strength in general, that is not to say its neighbors are weak by any means. Other North African nations have formidable fleets of helicopters as well, and 24/7 is taking a look at which African nations have the largest attack helicopter forces.

To determine the African countries with the most attack helicopters, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 military strength report from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. We ranked these countries according to which countries have the most attack helicopters. We included supplemental information regarding each country’s current air force and overall military strength ranking. We excluded any nations that did not have any attack helicopters.

Here is a look at the largest helicopter armies in Africa: Why Are We Covering This?

Understanding the military dynamics of Africa is important due to the continent's strategic geopolitical significance. The continent is known for some instability, and military power is one way of ensuring stability both political and economical. Many of these African nations are growing rapidly and the continued stability of this region is crucial.

• Total attack helicopters: 1
• Total helicopters: 8
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 2
• Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
• Total military aircraft: 14
• Military strength score and world rank: 2.7282 - #122 out of 145

Outside of these attack helicopters, the Republic of the Congo has 519 military vehicles (including 32 tanks, 37 artillery units, and 72 MLRS units). The Republic of the Congo has 8,500 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 5.7 million.

• Total attack helicopters: 1
• Total helicopters: 13
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
• Total strike and attack aircraft: 2
• Total military aircraft: 24
• Military strength score and world rank: 2.5988 - #121 out of 145

Outside of these attack helicopters, Niger has 912 military vehicles. Niger has 25,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 25.4 million.

• Total attack helicopters: 1
• Total helicopters: 2
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
• Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
• Total military aircraft: 9
• Military strength score and world rank: 1.9869 - #98 out of 145

Outside of these attack helicopters, Ivory Coast has 476 military vehicles (including 10 tanks, 4 artillery units, and 6 MLRS units). Ivory Coast has 22,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 29.3 million.

• Total attack helicopters: 2
• Total helicopters: 4
• Total fighter and interceptor aircraft: 0
• Total strike and attack aircraft: 0
• Total military aircraft: 4
• Military strength score and world rank: 3.5433 - #138 out of 145

Outside of these attack helicopters, Sierra Leone has 100 military vehicles. Sierra Leone has 13,000 active-duty personnel out of a total population of 8,908,040 million.

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